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Studio portrait of Gustav Straus holding a cane.

Photograph | Photograph Number: 28663
Studio portrait of Gustav Straus holding a cane. Gustav had this picture postcard with him when he was arrested during Kristallnacht. He mailed this card to his wife while en route to Dachau. At that time his wife and son were living in the apartment of Lina Isaack, since they had given up their flat in preparation for immigration to the United States.

Studio portrait of Gustav Straus holding a cane.

Gustav had this picture postcard with him when he was arrested during Kristallnacht. He mailed this card to his wife while en route to Dachau. At that time his wife and son were living in the apartment of Lina Isaack, since they had given up their flat in preparation for immigration to the United States.

Date
1938 November 18
Locale
Essen, [Prussian Rhineland] Germany
Variant Locale
[North Rhine-Westphalia]
Photo Designation
KRISTALLNACHT (GERMANY) -- Essen
Photo Credit
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Henry Straus

About This Photograph

Biography
Heinz (now Henry) Straus is the son of Gustav and Sofie Straus. He was born October 30, 1928 in Essen, Germany, where his father was a traveling salesman. Heinz, who was an only child, attended the Israelitische Volkschule, which he entered on April 1, 1935. He also was involved in many social activities at the local synagogue and youth center (Jugendheim). In October 1938 a number of his classmates, who were the children of Polish-born Jews, were expelled to the Polish frontier. Four weeks later Heinz witnessed the burning of the Essen synagogue and youth center during Kristallnacht. The next day, on November 10, 1938, his father was arrested and sent to Dachau. Following his release several weeks later, the family obtained American visas and departed for the U.S. on April 20, 1939.

Keywords and Subjects

Rights and Restrictions

Photo Source
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Copyright: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Provenance: Henry Straus
 
Record last modified: 2004-02-05 00:00:00
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1094728